#1. Sichuan
Sichuan is a southwestern Chinese province that contains a stretch of Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze. The region is the home of giant pandas, which visitors can observe at Bifengxia Panda Base and other reserves. Chengdu, the provincial capital, is a center for traditional Sichuanese opera, which include fire-breathing and sleight-of-hand mask changes.
At the edge of the Hengduan Mountains is Mount Emei, a holy mountain with Buddhist temples and monasteries, plus the 71m-tall Leshan Giant Buddha, an 8th-century cliffside carving. Mount Qingcheng, one of Taoism's “Four Sacred Mountains," can be explored via trail or aerial cable car. A footbridge offers bird's-eye views of Dujiangyan, a massive irrigation system dating back more than 2,000 years to the Qin dynasty. Jiuzhaigou (Valley of Nine Villages) is home to traditional Tibetan villages selling crafts. Jiuzhaigou's waterfalls, lakes and forests offer sightseeing and hiking.
Central Sìchuan is also home to the giant panda, the most famous face in China. In the south, expect a veil of history and a muted beauty that sees far fewer travellers than the rest of the region. To the north the visage changes again into a fairyland of alpine valleys and blue-green lakes. Sìchuan’s Tibetan face appears as you venture west. This is Kham, one of the former Tibetan prefectures: a vast landscape of plateau grasslands and glacial mountains where Tibetan culture still thrives and you’re certain to have your most challenging, yet most magical, experiences.